What good is a washer agitator?

Washer agitators circulate wash water through your clothes, so that the detergent and water reach all parts evenly. They also provide the scrubbing motion that helps remove dirt from soiled areas. An agitaor's "swishing" can be hard on clothing, though, especially delicates, so washers often have a cycle with a slower agitator motion.

The washer agitator is great because it turns the washer back and forth. If it was not in there your clothes would just sit in warm water then they would drain then they would sit in cold water and drain again and they would never spin because that is part of the agitators job also.